


Behavioral Development

by saigne



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, daniel kills a squirrel in cold blood, david is selfish, i mean its daniel, max is suspicious, the closest to reformed daniel ill get honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 14:05:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12170391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saigne/pseuds/saigne
Summary: Over the course of a view days, Max comes to two equally terrible conclusions. First, Daniel is in fact still a child murdering cultist. Second, he was absolutely whipped.





	Behavioral Development

**Author's Note:**

> Real talk I proofread like half of this maybe and lost it halfway through too so yeah haha. I tried to keep it kinda to the tone of the show because honestly it's fun as hell, so hopefully I at least partly succeeded. 
> 
> Anyways, takes place sometime after s2e1 i guess.

"Are you fucking serious!?" Max glared up at the three counselors standing in front of the campers. Three, not two, because Crazy Cult Daniel was back and staring down at all of them with a smile that sent chills down his spine. Great.

"The fuck is he doing here?" Max cannot believe David was stupid enough to let Daniel back. Actually, never mind, he could.

"Max, language." David frowned, staring disapprovingly at the ten-year-old. "And Daniel is here to make up for scaring a few of you before, and because he needs the job. Isn't that right, co-counselor?"

The question is met with a soft jab, Daniel glancing at David before looking back at everyone, smile never moving. "Absolutely! I just felt awful for risking getting you all sick with that punch! Thank heavens I drank some first!"

He sounds bitter, staring them all down as he says it. David looks far too pleased, and Gwen looks about as uncomfortable as Max feels. At least she realizes that this entire situation is messed up.

Gwen speaks up, making a face in apology at him. "Plus, he was never actually fired or let go, so he's still a counselor?"

That's stupid, Max thinks, especially since he tried to poison everyone, but somehow the two "adults" in the room are completely ignorant to that. Amazing.

The ultimate betrayal comes from Space Kid, who goes up to Daniel and hugs him. He always was the weakest link. Max hears Space Kid asking Daniel to tell him about space again and Max gears up, thinking this is it. He'll expose that he's still a cultist and insane and they'll fire him.

Except Daniel doesn't even get two words out before David is clearing his throat lightly, and the blond's jaw snaps shut with an audible clack.

"Maybe later."

"Okay!"

Max is openly staring, watching as Daniel straightens up and smiles a sheepish smile at David. "Sorry, habit."

He's gaping at the two at this point, between Daniel apologizing and David looking too pleased with himself there's something wrong and he's determined to find out what or die trying. Preferably not actually dying in the process.

"It's all good," David returns, smiling brightly while Gwen makes a gagging sound both men ignore. David turns back to the campers, clapping his hands together. "Anyways, that was our announcement, you can all go back to diner now!"

All the kids, Max included, glance down at the food wearily.

"Don't worry, I had no hand in the preparation and in fact wasn't even allowed in the kitchen," Daniel comments dryly, half smile on his face while David beams.

"That's... oddly reassuring," Neil comments beside Max, looking between the two counselors like there's something he's missing. Max narrows his eyes at them because it is, especially if David doesn't know what happened. If. Big if. Suspicious if.

"Max, you're mumbling to yourself."

He looks at Nikki, frowning. "Gotta figure out what sort of plan tall, pale, and creepy has somehow. Fuck off."

The rest of the evening is uneventful, everyone subdued and quieter than normal. It's almost nice, Max decides, if not for the psychopath sitting twelve feet away from him on a log, campfire between them. The psychopath who is currently engaged in a duet with David. The song isn't a camp song, instead something that sounds more like a repurposed pop song, and Max scowls at how cute it all is. Disgusting.

It doesn't help that Daniel is looking at David the way Nikki looks at impending violence. It's horrible and despite everything Max can't look away. He's so close to figuring it out, he can taste it.

\----

It takes David being gone for about five minutes for Daniel to show his true colors.

"Listen you little shits," he starts, turning to all the campers doing glitter art while David stepped out to get more glue. He's smiling, all teeth as he glares at them. "You will not make his job harder than it already is, got it? That poor man works himself to the bone to make you all happy, and if it weren't for him none of you would be here."

The threat isn't even disguised, message clear and Max is struggling to figure out how David managed to get Daniel behave. It doesn't make sense to him. David's harmless as a fly, and it's impossible that he threatened Daniel into behaving. Especially because of the threat that shows the cultist feels concern from him.

"Yeah yeah, calm the fuck down," Max scoffs, ignoring how half of the others already betrayed him by mumbling "yessir".

David comes back soon after, looking around at the near silence in confusion. "I thought this was supposed to be a fun activity. Why all the long faces?"

Daniel turns to him, smiling sweetly at the other counselor. "Nothing at all, just a little meditation exercise."

"Ooooooh! Meditation! Well don't let me interrupt, I'll just keep quiet."

Daniel shoots them all a look telling them not to argue. It's pointless, anyways, everyone too stunned at the fact that David isn't talking to try.

It's probably the most productive activity all summer.

\----

It's been three days and Max still hasn't figured it out. Instead, he found out something else that's making him reevaluate the redheaded counselor in front of him.

Ever since Quartermaster took over the forest, squirrels had been attacking the people to rebel against him. It was surprising at first, but Max realized out of all of them David got attacked the most so he didn't really care. Except right now.

They're all at the lake, getting ready to practice rowing when one comes out of nowhere. He thinks it was maybe Nikki's hair?

Whatever.

It surprises all of them, Max swearing as it flies too close to his face and lunges towards David.

It never gets there.

Instead, Daniel's fist is two inches from David's face, holding a knife that looks too familiar for comfort. Speared on said knife is the squirrel, blood dripping down Daniel's hand and onto the dock. There's a moment of stunned silence before there's too much talking all at once.

"What the Fuck?"

"That was so fast-"

"That knife-"

"How-"

"David, he just murdered a fucking animal right in front of you!" Max's voice cuts above the rest, near hysterical and triumphant. There's no way David could agree to keeping the man around after this!

David blinked, looking like he was slowly getting over the surprise of what just happened and looking from Daniel to Max. 

"Thank you, Daniel, for that." He spoke slowly, shaking his head after a moment and smiling brightly. "Glad I didn't get a squirrel to the face."

Max gapes, quickly shutting his mouth and snarling. "He killed it? And that doesn't bother you!?"

David furrows his brows, opening and closing his mouth a few times. "I mean- Max sometimes things die... Or get killed."

"How- how can you say that? It's you we're talking about!" Not that Max isn't already aware of these facts, but he was always under the impression that Daniel wasn't. It has to be brainwashing, it's the only logical conclusion.

"I mean, I hunted the deer we had last week so?" Daniel looks uncomfortable admitting it, while Max is flabbergasted. 

"What?"

"Yeah."

"We all just assumed that Quartermaster-"

"He didn't. I did. Hunt it. And prepare it. So yup, I'm aware that things die and that cows don't come from the store."

Everyone is watching the conversation like a tennis match, heavy silence settling over the group once they both stop talking.

"Anyways, why don't we all get back to the activity?" David grins, turning with a bounce in his step like the whole conversation didn't just happen. Everyone agrees, giving Daniel as wide a berth as they possibly can on the narrow pier.

Max glares at Daniel, frown deepening when the man sneers down at him. It's clear that he knew exactly what Max meant to do, rubbing it in that it won't work. It didn't, after all. Max sneers back, determined to get the cultist out of this already miserable camp.

The activity continues as planned, everyone but Max failing to see as Daniel tosses the squirrel corpse into the water and eyes the bloom of red in the water with interest. Great.

\----

The final nail in the coffin titled "Max's Hope" happens the next night. The day at least wasn't very eventful, Daniel seeming almost like a normal person and David less obnoxiously cheerful. Everyone noticed, choosing to just let it be instead of asking and maybe making David act like his usual obnoxious self. It's almost peaceful, really.

Of course it won't last.

If Max was being totally honest with himself, he'd at least acknowledge that it was his own fault. Not that that would actually ever happen.

How was he supposed to know that leaving Erid's skateboard for Daniel to trip on would fail, and David would be the one to fall victim to the trap? Or that he'd end up with a twisted ankle? Totally unforeseeable.

"What happened?" Max turns, seeing Daniel walking up behind him, looking down at the scene with a blank expression.

"David tripped," Max said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Daniel's neck cracks to the side and Max swears he can feel it.

"Is that so?" Daniel moves forward, crouching in front of David whose sniffling on the ground, looking up at the other with an expression that looks really similar to a kicked puppy. "On what?"

Daniel's head cracks again as he turns it to look at Max. It reminds the ten-year-old of an owl. 

It's Neil who speaks up, taking the weight of Daniel's stare. "Erid's skateboard. It probably fell and roll over here."

While Neil speaks, Daniel hunches over David, picking him up bridal style. The movement draws a yelp from the counselor, who clings to Daniel.

Daniel looks over to Erid at the other side of the room, who's watching the whole scene uncomfortably. "I supposed you're right. You wouldn't lie, after all."

He stands, tucking David's head against him and smiling brightly at Gwen, who hasn't had a chance to say anything yet. "I'll patch him up, while you watch the kids."

He doesn't even wait for a response, walking out and belatedly it occurs to Max that it shouldn't be that easy for him to carry David like that.

It's totally suspicious and justifies Max sneaking out the second Gwen isn't looking and heading towards David's cabin. He sneaks up, moving to the window there and peeking in.

He sees David on the edge of the bed, Daniel in front of him, wrapping his injured ankle. Max feels guilt for all of three seconds before he's distracted by what they're saying.

"I'm going to kill him," Daniel snarls, hands moving with a careful precision at odds with the heat in his voice. Max isn't going to pretend Daniel isn't talking about him.

"Danny, calm down. we talked about this." David sounds tired, more than anything, smiling softly at Daniel patches him up.

"Messing with me is one thing, but now he's hurting you." Daniel sounds almost desperate, looking up at David, shoulders relaxing just a bit when he makes eye contact.

"I'll be fine. I've been through worse too. I think Nurf stabbed me twice?" David shrugs, looking down at Daniel. He looks downright murderous, the expression making Max flinch and how the fuck is David still smiling at him?

"I'll fu-" Daniel is cut off by a finger to his lips. David shaking his head.

"C'mon, none of that, remember? They're all good kids, even when they make mistakes. If I can give you another chance, you can give them a chance." David's voice is soft enough that Max almost can't hear it. Almost. 

"Fine. But I'm doing it for you, and you alone." Daniel is honest to god pouting, slowly lowering David's foot now that it's wrapped. He moves between David's knees, hugging the other around his chest as Max lets out a sigh of relief because for a second he thought-

Oh, fuck, they're fucking kissing.

Max jumps back, face twisted up in disgust because he would have preferred to never think of either of them like that. Ever. Gross.

What's worse, he realizes that there's going to be no way of getting rid of Daniel when they're... together. Fuck.

Max looks into the window again to make sure he didn't hallucinate that and no, they're actually kissing. Which seems kind of liberal, since it looks more like Daniel is trying to eat David's face. This is horrible. Max gags, jerking away from the window tripping on something. He hits the ground hard, yelping.

"Who's out there?!" That's Daniel, voice sharp and hard and Max scrambles.

"Relax, probably a rabbit and not a stray camper," David says, speaking way too loudly for how close he is to Dan- oh that's for his benefit too, then. Max doesn't need another incident, sprinting away as fast as he can back to the tents.

\----

Daniel looks at David questioningly, already halfway to the window where he heard the noise. "Really? Just a rabbit?"

David giggles, shrugging. "Hey, figured anyone looking in would be 'traumatized' at the view and that's punishment enough."

He smiles wide at Daniel, holding his arms up. "Besides, if you go and chase someone off then who's going to comfort me?"

Daniel softens at that, letting out a deep breath as he walks back to David and into his arms.

"Who would sacrifice themselves like that," he mumbles, pressing kisses against the others neck. It was way too easy for David to get him to behave how he wanted, and Daniel couldn't bring himself to care. Whipped indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> dude i wanted whipped cream


End file.
